9 Vintage Kitchen Tools You Probably Can’t Peg

Over time we’ve seen our kitchens evolve in the name of space and convenience. With that came new gadgets, utensils, and appliances. What’s interesting is how popular it is to own something that’s considered vintage.

Care to take a ride back in time with us? Take a dip in nostalgic waters and see if you recognize any of these pieces of kitchen paraphernalia. You may have grown up using one of these items, spotted them at your grandparents’ house, or have your own antique collection.

If you’ve never seen any of these kitchen tools in your life, then you might find yourself fascinated by how much things have changed. If you have seen any of them, you could find yourself having an “Aha!” moment. Let’s look at some of the cooking and prep items that are a blast from our culinary past.

Flour Sifter

Jay Kaye via Flickr

Looks like a pretty can, right? Flour sifters like these would come with holes in the lid, resembling salt or pepper shakers. Can you dig the flower motif?

Cheese Slicer

Ruth Hartnup via Flickr

Who cut the cheese? To cut nice sized wedges, this early 20th century invention was used. These days, you can find these in museums, up for auction, or perhaps sitting on a countertop.

Knife Sharpener

Lynn Greyling via Public Domain Pictures

Most knife sharpeners we see today look like rods, but with these, the blade is rolled between the wheels to get sharp.

Coffee Roaster

Natalie Ward via Wikimedia Commons

Looking at this might remind you of making Jiffy Pop popcorn, but this gadget was used on a stovetop to roast coffee beans. A crank helped to turn the beans, making for an even roast. Who wants one?

Cheese Wringer

Diply

If Little Miss Muffet had one of these for her curds and whey, she probably wouldn’t have been so distracted when that spider grabbed a seat next to her. This was used to separate the liquid whey from the curds when making cheese, leaving only the solids. Yum!

Cherry Pitter

Elizabeth Daggar

More spider imagery here! This invention dates back to the 1800s and actually has pokers that remove the pits from cherries. You’d drop them in the chute and turn the crank to pop the pit right out.

Tea Strainer

Lynn Greyling via Public Domain Pictures

Though boxes of bagged tea line grocery aisles, loose leaf tea is still very much in style. You can find modern versions of brass tea strainers like these that are placed over the rim of a teacup to capture leaves.

Five-in-One: Strain, Fill, Funnel, Measure, Dip

Sean via Flickr

Made by a company called Nesco, this ingenious tool came with an changeable piece for each job. Each part could be swapped out and inserted when needed. The names says it all, and this was a favorite of home canning aficionados.

Cream Separator

Unsplash via Pixabay

For folks who had cows at home, this was used to separate cream from fresh whole milk and to make skim milk. Guess what? You can buy an electric version today!

Which of you foodies, artisans, and home chefs are interested in acquiring an item or two off of this list? Have you seen any of this kitchenalia before? Do you think you could be sitting on a small pile of antique kitchen tools? Share with us in the comments!